Let’s go see Milk, the nytimes.com gave it a rave rave review…but as with JaredPolis and many Boulderites, let’s go see it elsewhere, and deprive Cinemark’s CEO of 10,000 in revenues. In classic Capitalistic style, let’s hit the bigot Alan Stock where it hurts most…his reputation—and his wallet.

Johann Moonesinghe, 26, of Boulder, is organizing Sunday’s local protest with Jonathan deWolff. The men have been personally boycotting Boulder’s Twenty Ninth Street theater since learning earlier this month of Stock’s contribution. Last weekend, for example, Moonesinghe, deWolff, Polis and Polis’ partner, Marlon Reis, went to the new “Twilight” film in Louisville rather than in Boulder.

“Why would we spend our money in a theater where the CEO donates to take away from our rights?” Moonesinghe said. “There are lots of options of places to see movies. We will choose to spend our money where they won’t use the money against us.”

Media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times began reporting last week that Cinemark’s chief executive gave thousands to the “Yes on 8” campaign in California. A movement to protest Cinemark quickly developed. Gay-rights advocates launched the Web site Nomilkforcinemark.com, and they’ve started a Facebook.com group that had more than 18,700 members Tuesday.

“If 1,000 of us commit to see ‘Milk’ at a competitor’s theater instead of Cinemark, at an average cost of $10 per ticket, that’s $10,000 of lost revenue,” the Facebook page creator wrote. “Help us reach 1,000 members so we can send a message to Mr. Stock. You will not profit from hate.”

Most of the (not very many) movies I’ve seen at 29th Street have been subtly out of focus. Sometimes I don’t notice until partway through, but I seem to always end up with a raging headache. Now, Cinemark is giving me a different kind of headache. Convenient location, but nothing else going for it.

A week long boycott probably creates some good publicity, but anything beyond that is at best trivial and at worst counterproductive.

Many of us live in Boulder because of the ideals espoused by its citizens.Upon a quick search, I found Cinemark’s net income to be approximately 2% of revenues. Yet, if extended, this could deprive the city of many times that in sales and property taxes, and it could deprive locals of jobs. It also encourages people to drive farther, wasting time, money and natural resources.

More to the point would be to encourage people to patronize only local businesses that are owned and operated in the town in which they live or are visiting.

Well, I think boycotting prejudice wherever you find it is pretty effective, if only symbolically. Remember when whites would go in with blacks into diners in South and everyone'd get beat? That made nat'l news. Still, you make great points, each to his own!

Just finally watched MILK last night with friends at home who rented the movie from local indie Video Station, supporting sales tax etc!